Chinese J-11 Fighters Harass Canadian Helicopter in South China Sea
On October 29, 2023, a Canadian military helicopter was intercepted three times by Chinese fighter jets in the South China Sea, in what Canada’s Department of National Defence called “unsafe and unprofessional” encounters1. The helicopter, a Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone, was operating from the frigate HMCS Ottawa, which was deployed in support of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
According to Maj. Rob Millen, the air officer aboard the Ottawa, the first encounter was over international waters outside of 34 miles from the Paracel Island chain, a disputed area claimed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The helicopter was searching for a previously detected submarine when two Chinese J-11 fighters flew in circles around it, causing turbulence and getting as close as 100 feet from it. Millen, who was piloting the helicopter at the time, said he had to descend to 200 feet to avoid the jets.
The second and third encounters occurred later the same day, during another sortie by the same helicopter, also over international waters outside of 23 miles from the Paracels. This time, one of the Chinese fighters made a pass over the helicopter with little separation, forcing the pilot to take evasive action to avoid the jet’s wake turbulence. The other fighter launched flares directly in front of the helicopter, posing a risk of damaging the rotor blades or the engines. The pilot had to maneuver to avoid ingesting the flares into the helicopter’s systems.
Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan condemned the Chinese actions as “reckless and irresponsible” and said they could have resulted in the downing of the aircraft. He also said that Canada would continue to exercise its right to freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, in accordance with international law.
China’s military spokesman Senior Col. Zhang Xiaogang disputed the Canadian version of events and accused the Canadian helicopter of flying at ultra-low altitude with unknown intentions near the Paracels, which China calls the Xisha Islands. He said that China’s naval and air forces identified and verified the helicopter in accordance with the law and repeatedly issued warnings, but the helicopter refused to respond and took provocative actions. He also said that China’s military dealt with the situation in a routine and professional manner.
The incident came amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, where China has been asserting its territorial claims and building artificial islands and military facilities, despite objections from other claimants and the international community. The U.S. and its allies have been conducting regular patrols and exercises in the area to challenge China’s claims and uphold the freedom of navigation and overflight.
